Hey guys long time no see..CP and Mrs. CP...as I was in the mtns. of North carolina this last weekend I went to a mineral museum which had lost of books...now 90% of all rock and min. books just repeat the same thing..so they get nary a glance from me...well this time I noticed one book way in the back in the corner.."whats this" I say..."golly gosh darn lookie here" ...looks like a Bible but not just any old bible the "Mt. Antero Bible"(comparing this find to something as good as the Bible:)) well heck ya..this is an awesome book..extremely in-depth..well written..all the info you could ever need..it's older written in the 80's but still an excellent read...what is the collecting status on Antero and White mtns. now? Are there still large lode claims filed on those molybdenum areas? any other info you can provide?

Very cool book you got ahold of there. Keep that one around for sure.I would imagine that yes, there are still many active claims up there for many different goodies found in that area. Active claims have been in use up there since the late 1800's.Way up in altitude and very very steep conditions, be prepared for any weather any time of the year too. After some good research as to claims and locals, I bet one could find a spot to prospect on up there though. Just make sure not to accidentally be on someones claim(s).....they might get a tad irratated.

Hey CP are the claim laws still the same as they were 20 years ago. Do all the claims have to be staked and/or marked? Is it still true that the claim has to be worked every year for a certain amount of time or by some certain degree? Do they still have to file a yearly affidavit of assement work? I can challenge the validity of a claim if no actual work has been done and documented, correct? Also is the FBLM still in Lakewood? Hypothetically speaking if a claim is not staked or marked or with rock monuments and you are hiking across a claimed piece of property and you happen to spot something like a crystal or whatever and pick it up are you liable for "mining" on someones claim even if no markings or claim posts are seen? Sorry about all the questions but when it comes to mlegality and claims this is the number one site to go to...Thanks CP

i beleive the laws are still the same as any other federal mining claim. the monuments/signs keep getting destroyed by jerks or natural events(rock slides) and yes you could be violating a mans claim if still a valid one by picking up minerals from his claim.and yes they need to do their assessment work to keep it valid. do your research before you pickup anything.and id have a copy of it on you when you go out and your GPS so you know where your at to backup your information. there was a show on tv awhile back about these claims up there.

You are very welcome Amethystguy, and thank you for the very kind compliments. That is what we strive for here.

As Russ said, the mining laws are the same as 20 years ago and the basics of "staking" and "monumenting" claims are still required.

Yes all location claims must be marked with corner monuments and discovery markers by federal law. There aren't any laws stating they must be re-erected if something happens to them though either. Like Russ said.....things happen and they do get knocked down.The requirement for locations claims to have assesment work is still true today too although I don't think a citizen can challenge a claims validity.....that authority is the BLM's if I'm not mistaken. The waiver can only be used for claim owners with less than 10 claims to.Yepper, BLM office is still in Lakewood.

On your hypothetical situation........technically you would be committing "mineral tresspass" which is a class c felony. Easiest way to describe our responsibility and avoid that situation in the field is ....it's our job as prospectors/field collectors to know where we are and where not to be. Location claims and patented claims (private land) are often mistaken for open ground just because it's not marked or fenced off, or the markers weren't seen.But it't still our job personally to know where we are in field. Patented claims are privately owned lands. Location claims are still usable for other activities but you can not prospect on them and your activities can not interfere with any mining operations.

Best if you wish to prospect a bit, do a little pre checking and make sure you're going to an open spot.Hopefully this helps out with some of the q's We also strive to help club members learn the ins and outs along the way while doing all these steps in research and all the questions that arise too. If you or other readers are really interested in learning about claims, filing and the research involved, check out the ColoradoProspector club membership page sometime.

Cool..thanks guys..clears some things up...I knew that it was the prospectors job to know where he was at at all times..i just didn't know if you could get into trouble if you happened to be hiking across a claim and without the markings being present coulgd get into troubel for pciking something up unbeknowst to you. If it is still the prospectors duty to know where he is at what is the need for staking in the first place? Seems like an antiquated thing to me. If I remember my research correctly I think there are onyl 2 patented claims up on white and antero..the rest just regular. Thanks again guys..hoping to make it out that way soon...jason

" If it is still the prospectors duty to know where he is at what is the need for staking in the first place? Seems like an antiquated thing to me."

Hi Jason:

Putting down stakes on a claim boundary, along with a location monument and written notice of location, is a practice that has developed from a long history and tradition. The staking or monumenting of a claim operates to tie in the legal description to an actual position on the ground. This effort makes it more difficult for "floating claims" to become legitimate. Floating claims are those that have paperwork but aren't tied to a particular spot or an actual monument that can be witnessed upon the land surface. Those types of claims have a loosely described location and get filed when there is a staking rush taking place. They operate in a manner that the location on the ground "floats" around until it is ultimately locked down by a monument. Legal problems then arise as the floating claim has, not surprisingly, floated under another claim where valuable minerals are found.

The specific time deadlines and monument requirements vary from state-to-state so be sure to check with the State BLM office for the state you are going to prospect in. If you do find a valuable mineral occurrence, you'll want to be sure to not miss any deadlines or other responsibilities that fall on the claimant that would invalidate the discovery. There are too many stories about a prospector making a valuable discovery only to lose it by not following the local or state laws governing claim staking and/or filing legal documents.

"Some day this crater is going to be a greatly talked about place, and if the above credit is due, as is certainly the case, I would like to have it generally known for the sake of the children." Daniel Moreau Barringer 2/1/1912 in a letter about the Barringer Meteorite Crater, Arizona USA

I was hoping you would chime in Mr. Tonko..I know you are very peculiar about claims and staking since you have had you propertyy ripped up and trampled on by other "prospectors" Can I get a claim map from county clerk or recorders office in Salida couthouse or from the FBLM in Lakewood?

I was hoping you would chime in Mr. Tonko..I know you are very peculiar about claims and staking since you have had you propertyy ripped up and trampled on by other "prospectors" Can I get a claim map from county clerk or recorders office in Salida couthouse or from the FBLM in Lakewood?

Dear amethystguy:

Although I've prospected on occasion and actually staked a claim in Chaffee County, I never tried to track down claim information with the County Clerk and Recorder. I'm sure they have copies of the claims and maps on file but I don't know their specific procedures for providing copies to the public. I've always had success in getting copies of claim information I needed from the BLM office in Lakewood. They will also have a "Master Title Plat" that you can copy that shows the entire patent ground in each section along with status of the mineral rights on the federal lands. That would be handy to have if you plan to prospect with intent to stake a claim as some areas get withdrawn for one reason or another.

Here's a photo of the "ore" that you'll be searching for up on Antero. If you can locate an occurance with the large gem crystals, you'll be set!

"Some day this crater is going to be a greatly talked about place, and if the above credit is due, as is certainly the case, I would like to have it generally known for the sake of the children." Daniel Moreau Barringer 2/1/1912 in a letter about the Barringer Meteorite Crater, Arizona USA

yep..thats called beryl "clots"...if you could find a little peg pocket near those clots you might get pretty lucky...I know there is still lots of material to be found up there...I have a few locations I would like to check out that will produce something...but it will only produce with lots of hard work...won't make it this season but next I am game...i plan on starting a strict regimente of jogging each evening..not for antero but for my health in general...thanks for the info..never messed with claimed land or anything along those lines so I come to the place that has it all CP forums. he CP keep a space on the floor for me when i come out there...do you accept visa,..master card...mineral specimens:))))

yep..thats called beryl "clots"...if you could find a little peg pocket near those clots you might get pretty lucky...I know there is still lots of material to be found up there...I have a few locations I would like to check out that will produce something...but it will only produce with lots of hard work...won't make it this season but next I am game...i plan on starting a strict regimente of jogging each evening..not for antero but for my health in general...thanks for the info..never messed with claimed land or anything along those lines so I come to the place that has it all CP forums. he CP keep a space on the floor for me when i come out there...do you accept visa,..master card...mineral specimens:))))

Amguy, I'll say again I'm envious of your copy of the Antero book! I've been looking for a copy myself for a few years now. Just let me know when you decide to make a trip out to CO and Antero, I'd be happy to get you up the road in my Jeep and do some digging with you. I've only been up the mountain once myself (so far) with little result, but as you also probably know I'll be heading up again soon with Dick Lackmond. Fingers crossed that we have some luck! Congrats again on finding that book!

Mikey you and Dick will be on my crap list if you guys don't have a comprehensive report and picture spread next time you go up:)...LOL..make sure and get some good pics to share...If everything looks good I hope to be out there next antero season(early july)...it's all hopes and dreams now and is not set in stone but i think I have a decent chance of finding some stuff..maybve not aqua but at least betrandite or phenakite...more than likely will camp up there on the mtn. down a couple thousand feet and hike up each day...don't like the whole storms and lightning thing...let me know when you and dick head up

Mikey you and Dick will be on my crap list if you guys don't have a comprehensive report and picture spread next time you go up:)...LOL..make sure and get some good pics to share...If everything looks good I hope to be out there next antero season(early july)...it's all hopes and dreams now and is not set in stone but i think I have a decent chance of finding some stuff..maybve not aqua but at least betrandite or phenakite...more than likely will camp up there on the mtn. down a couple thousand feet and hike up each day...don't like the whole storms and lightning thing...let me know when you and dick head up

Don't worry, I'll do my best to get plenty of pics when we're up there next week. I think we stand a pretty good chance of finding some blue stuff. Last time I was up there by myself (solo) the top of the mountain was still snow covered so a lot of the popular collecting areas were inaccessible, but I did manage to pick up a few nice rocks that looks very much like the one Astrobleme posted. Camping at or slightly below treeline is a good idea, and I know of a couple great campsites along there.

"Some day this crater is going to be a greatly talked about place, and if the above credit is due, as is certainly the case, I would like to have it generally known for the sake of the children." Daniel Moreau Barringer 2/1/1912 in a letter about the Barringer Meteorite Crater, Arizona USA